


As We Slowly Wither

by xvivon



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Super Sons (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Batfamily, Character Death, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt No Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Tragic Romance, Unrequited Love, no beta we die like jason todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26152651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xvivon/pseuds/xvivon
Summary: And now he’s drowning in the petals...
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne
Comments: 9
Kudos: 72





	As We Slowly Wither

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya everyone! I know this isn’t the happy Super Sons fic I promised, but I’m actually writing this on the 27th in advance. I’ll have a fluff fic up eventually, I just love angst so much.
> 
> What is hanahaki?
> 
> Hanahaki is a fictional disease in which the victim has an unrequited or one sided love.  
> The victim begins to cough up and or vomit flower petals.  
> This flower will grow in their lungs, possibly blocking off their airways.  
> In worst case senecio the victim dies.  
> This disease can be cured however, by either the beloved reciprocating their feelings, or through surgical removal.  
> This is in no way an actual real life illness, it is a fanfiction trope. 
> 
> Enjoy!

He couldn’t remember a day this month where he hasn’t woken up with a cough.

It started out as a subtle thing, something that grew into a fiery huff that consumed his lungs. Only recently he began to cough up small petals. He at least thought they’d be some rare extravagant flower he could admire in death, instead it was a red rose blocking his airways.

This started happening after he got closer with his teammate and best companion Jon. Their relationship started to strengthen. And what at first the thought was admiration for his friend, soon bloomed into something more.

_He was in love with his best friend._

He’d never say anything though, there was so much that could go wrong. Jon could reject him, and it’d ruin their friendship. His family might not accept him, and they could hate him. If Jon did say yes something might happen and they could break up.

There was too much on the line.

He didn’t want to tell anyone about the symptoms, they would perceive him as weak. He had his suspicions Pennyworth knew, the butler knows everything. And it was only a matter of time before Cassandra noticed something was off with his movements.

_Though he never expected Brown to catch onto his unrequited love._

It was an ordinary night in the cave, Robin and Batgirl were working on a case together. They turned out to have a good dynamic, they balanced each other out.

While reading through the files Damian had a coughing fit. He was hoping she wouldn’t notice, though that would be too good to be true.

_Stephanie looked over to see him coughing up rose petals and blood._

She watched on in horror as someone she considered a little brother struggled for a gasp of air. She didn’t know what to do, what is this? Why are there roses in Damian’s throat? Why is there blood? Why can’t he breathe? What is-

_Oh..._

_“It’s gotten worse,”_ Damian thought. He reached for a tissue only to meet Steph's eyes, filled with worry and concern.

“Dames...”

_Breathing was so difficult._

“Damian are you okay? I’m calling Lee,” She decided.

No, she can’t do that. They can’t know, _no one else_ can know. He had to say something, anything. If she called Thompkins then she would tell the rest of his family, and then his father would tell his close friends, and then Jon would know, and-

“Wait-”

_She didn’t wait..._

It wasn’t long before Dr. Thompkins sat before him with a sullen look on her face. A shared glance between the two women showed understanding and radiated pity.

“This looks all too familiar,”

She put down some of her equipment, and finally met Damian’s eyes.

“Hanahaki disease is when the victim of an unrequited or one sided love begins to vomit or cough up the petals of a flower growing inside of their lungs. I believe you have it.”

He looked down at his feet, there wasn’t much else he could do.

Leslie continued, “It ends when the beloved reciprocates their feelings or when the victim passes away. There are ways to cure it of course, the most popular treatment is surgical removal. Though when the infection is removed-”

“Their love disappears too...” Stephanie finishes.

Before he could give his input, “I’m going to speak with your father to decide the best course of action. In the meantime I suggest you rest, and no patrol until you’ve recovered.”

It’s not like he didn’t suspect that was the problem, though he didn’t want to admit it, and now his father is the one choosing his fate.

Brown had the same reaction she did when one of her school friends developed hanahaki.

_Pity._

“Who are they?” She asked.

“What?”

“Who’s the lucky person?” It sounded bittersweet.

“What person?”

“Dames we have to know who it is to see if we can fix it naturally. Wouldn’t you rather that than an operation?” She seemed a bit confused now.

He sighed, no but- he didn’t want to tell them.

“Damian...”

She won’t get it out of him that easily. 

“Dames just tell me, then we can fix this.”

_Not a word..._

“Dami!?” He knew that frantic voice.

Grayson appeared in the doorway, panic etched in his face. “Dami! What happened?”

“Tt. Nothing, everything’s fi-”

“Everything is _not_ fine,” Brown interrupted.

Grayson looked over at her, awaiting an explanation.

“Leslie said he has hanahaki disease and she’s talking with Bruce right now, they’re deciding what to do next.”

“How long has this been going on?” Dick questioned, they both looked at him.

“Dames?”

No, he will stay strong, he can just get the surgery. And if not, then he really will be taking this secret to his grave.

_He stayed silent..._

There wasn’t much they could do without an answer, and just seemed upset as they left the med bay.

His father finished talking with him and Dr. Thompkins, it turns out the surgery might not be very effective. There’s always the chance he might not make it, and even if he does, his feelings for Jon will dissipate.

Bruce and Lee decided the best course of action would be to figure out who he loves, and hope they reciprocate his feelings.

_He got weaker by the day._

Hanahaki works pretty fast as it turns out, he’s bedridden with too many coughing fits a day to count.

He’s sick of roses now, they seem to match the blood too well, the scent just about brings him to tears.

His family is around him a lot, though he’d rather his sketchbook and Titus as company. Jon recently started to visit, he’s about going insane trying to figure out who this person is.

_Little does he know..._

“Ugh! C’mon Dames, why can’t you just tell me?” Jon asks, tears of frustration lingering near his lash lines.

He hates seeing Jon upset, especially over him but, it must be done. He cannot know, there’s too much at risk.

_He’s in too deep..._

“You know I can’t do that,”

Jon looks exhausted, like he’s in a constant frenzy.

“Is it Colin!?” He asks as if he’s made breaking discovery. The hope in his bright blue eyes, like light reflecting off of a diamond.

“No,”

To the disappointment that clouds his irises, it seems soul crushing to him. Almost like all the progress he’s made has been ripped from his fingertips.

“It has to be someone! Uh, Maya? Maps? Colin? Shoot I said him already, are you sure it’s not Colin?”

“I’m sure, it’s not Colin. And it’s not any of the other names you’ve listen so far either.”

Jon has a childlike pout on his face now. “Why won’t you just-”

_He starts coughing up more bits of roses._

“Damian?”

_It’s hard to breathe..._

“Damian!?”

_He can’t speak..._

“DAMIAN!”

_It’s like he’s suffocating..._

“MR. WAYNE, DAD, HELP!”

_The world is almost fading..._

“DAMIAN HANG ON-”

_But he can’t any longer..._

Jon should have known Damian loved him, should’ve known what they had was more than a friendship. Damian’s sketchbook has many pages of Jon in it. Jon’s diary contains many stanzas about his “best friend”.

He found a note while looking through the drawings, one for him.

_Dear Jonathan,_

_If you find this letter, I most likely am not present anymore._

_I suppose the hanahaki might have gotten to me._

_Just know, you won’t find the other person, the one that’s causing these flowers to blossom._

_Because, he’s you. Unless you know that, and feel the same way, then it won’t be fixed._

_The procedure would have taken my feelings for you, and it’s not even a guarantee it will work._

_I cannot let that happen._

_Just know, I love you. I always have, and always will._

_No matter if I’m there to yell at you or not._

_I hope you are doing well without me._

_-Damian_

It contained a thoughtful handwritten note that had tears spilling down his cheeks, and a single rose petal.

_Jon’s never hated a flower so much in his life._

He thought the thorns on a rose were bad enough, this was a million times worse. All he can do is sit here, and cry over a flower, a flower that killed his best friend, a flower that brought people so much pain.

_And there’s nothing else he can do about it._

After Damian’s funeral his family doesn’t look at Jon the same, not after they found out who Damian’s beloved was.

He’s still invited to the funeral, and he visits Damian’s grave every so often.

So here he stands, in front of a cold headstone he loathes so much. The one that has the name Damian Wayne engraved on it. The sky’s dark and cloudy, it really sets the mood.

He places a bouquet of roses on the dirt.

It’s become a sentimental flower for him, one he despises so much, and yet he always keeps one on his bedside table.

Damian must’ve felt that same way as they surrounded him. His every breath suffocating.

And Jon feels like he can relate in a sense.

_And now he’s drowning in the petals..._

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya everyone! How was everyone’s 27th? Did y’all manifest your hopes and dreams? I feel so petty having written Damian dying by roses and then having Jon place roses on his grave. Hdjdndjjd. I hope y’all are taking care of yourselves!
> 
> Hope you have a great morning/afternoon/night bbbbyyyyyyeeeeeeeee!!
> 
> Go bother me on Tumblr - [xvivon](https://xvivon.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Remember, comments are my coffee, and I’m a caffeine addict.


End file.
